No Weakness, No Pain, No Mercy

How do we respond to fear and how do we acquire respect? Dre Parker (Jaden Smith), a twelve year old whose family relocates from Detroit to China, confronts these questions in the toughest of contexts: the playground. The first pupil he befriends, Meiying (Wenwen Han), makes him an enemy of the school bully (Zhenwei Wang) and his posse. Dre's meagre karate skills are no match for Cheng's (Wang) masterful kung fu - that is, until he receives training from Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), a kung fu master working as a maintenance man.

The Karate Kid is a remake of the 1984 coming-of-age martial arts film of the same name, starring Will Smith's son Jaden and Jackie Chan. Whilst the 2010 Kid follows its predecessor's plot exactly, its title has angered some, who see it as a ploy to cash in on nostalgic fans without delivering the karate - or the depth of story - they were led to expect. Nevertheless, Harald Zwart has pleasantly surprised most critics by changing the dynamics enough (setting it in China and switching the teenager and elderly man for a tweenager and middle-aged man) to allow the film to stand alone. Smith displays a natural charisma, whilst Chan reveals an emotional range to match his physical agility. But for all its breath-taking panoramas, fast-paced action sequences and comic references, its corny romance plot-line and its drawn out runtime are likely to test the patience of Smith's peers.

Cheng and his friends train with Master Li (Rongguang Yu), whose motto is 'no weakness, no pain, no mercy.' He teaches through intimidation, violently punishing any sign of weakness, pain or mercy. His pupils take this philosophy off the training mat and into the classroom, bullying their peers heartlessly. Cheng is the favourite to win the upcoming kung fu tournament and as such he believes that he should dominate in every sphere of his life. When Meiying shows that she likes the new boy, Cheng immediately seeks to pulverise his rival. As one might expect, his attempts to control Meiying's life do little to win her affections. Mr. Han reveals the pervasive power of a philosophy: 'Kung fu lives in everything we do . . . It lives in how we treat people. Everything is kung fu.' The form of kung fu Master Li teaches seizes respect through fear, an ideology prevalent in gang culture the world over.

When Mr. Han steps into Dre's situation, the boy jumps at the chance to get his revenge, but the master is intent on showing his pupil another way. 'I will teach you real kung fu,' Mr. Han declares, after witnessing Master Li's approach. He explains that true strength is found in mastering oneself, not in trying to control others. So the lessons begin, not in martial arts moves, but in self-discipline - first, Mr. Han spends days addressing Dre's lazy habit of dropping his jacket on the floor by drilling him in putting his jacket on, taking it off, dropping it and hanging it up. This process also teaches Dre obedience, and respect for Mr. Han, his mother and the parents of Meiying. Even when he begins introducing the boy to kung fu fighting, he insists that the point is to protect, not to harm. Mr. Han models this in his own combat scene, in which he dodges and blocks so effectively that his opponents are disabled by their own deflected blows. True respect, as Meiying could attest, cannot be garnered until it is given.

'I feel like we're on a quest to start a new life in a new land,' Dre's mother enthuses. But for Dre, his new home is more like a nightmare than an adventure. For a long time, he doesn't hope for victory, but only longs for escape. Part of this child's journey is accepting the simplicity of his mission. 'Basically, I'm just trying to make it,' Smith explains. It is difficult to forget one's experience of the first day in a new school, job or neighbourhood. It can be terrifying, and the impulse to turn and flee often feels stronger than the desire to stay and 'fight'. The human threshold for failure has become increasingly low, and naturally is it easier to avoid disappointment than to work through it. Nevertheless, as in Dre's case, our 'age of austerity' may rob us of that option. 'The only way to stop them is to face them,' Mr. Han concludes, so he enters the boy in the kung fu tournament. Eventually, Dre realises that this is indeed the best way to rid himself not only of the gang, but the fear that the gang holds over him. Perseverance can be a victory in itself: 'Win or lose, I don't want to be afraid anymore.'

Knowing he cannot achieve this alone, Dre eagerly absorbs all the help he can get. Mr. Han transforms him through rigorous physical and theoretic tuition. The boy plunges his whole head into the Dragon Well when he is told that it contains the power to make him indestructible. But Dre isn't the only one struggling. Meiying has no friends and nor does Mr. Han, before Dre comes along. Mr. Han suffers from a particularly heavy burden, a deep regret. When Dre happens upon his master in a moment of despair, the pupil suddenly becomes the teacher: he literally lifts Mr. Han up from his dejected slump, using training sticks that have hand-loops at either end. 'Always strong,' Mr. Han has repeatedly instructed his student, but this maxim has done nothing to fix his own pain. It is only from the vulnerable position of receiving help that he gains the strength he needs.

The Karate Kid proves that a student is only as good as his master. Whilst Jesus was on Earth, he delivered some of the most sublime teaching the world has ever received. But he also experienced the pain and frustration of human life. He demonstrated true humanity, not only bestowing mercy on others, but asking for it as well.

While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God. Even though Jesus was God's Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered. In this way, God qualified him as a perfect High Priest, and he became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him. (Hebrews 5:7-9)

It is Dre's inner strength - learned through suffering and tempered with mercy - that eventually earns him the respect of Cheng and his gang. 

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